


Random Acts of Jack

by Hotspur



Category: Doctor Who, Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Flowers, Gen, Hugs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-27
Updated: 2013-09-27
Packaged: 2017-12-27 18:55:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotspur/pseuds/Hotspur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the Journey's End, Jack kept tabs on the other companions and continued the Doctor's mission of kindness in unusual ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Jack Harkness, Hugs For Hire

Captain Jack Harkness walked up to the house, surprisingly apprehensively for a 51st century guy. He knew of this woman’s reputation, and almost didn’t relish being the one to do this. On the other hand, he found the sassy ginger greatly attractive. Oh, he was excited, sure, but he was afraid of the result. What the Doctor had said about her echoed in his head. He didn’t want any of it to happen.

Jack put on his most charming grin and rang the bell.

He heard footsteps inside. A little kid peeked out from the window next to the door. More footsteps, and the chain lock was undone. The door opened and a woman stood in the frame, the little girl looking out from behind her legs. 

“Whatever you’re selling, we’re not interested.” The woman, a pleasantly busty ginger, said sharply.

“I’m not here to sell anything.” Jack said. He remembered everything- the planets, the Bad Wolf, the Osterhagen Key, tricking Davros, the Children of Time, and finally, this woman, who in the moment of greatest need, became the most brilliant star in the universe. She was also really nice looking and sassy. Too bad she didn’t know how awesome she was. “I have something for Donna Temple-Noble.”

“That’s me.” The suburban mum said, as the girl ran off into an argument with her brother. 

“Nice to meet you!” Jack said. “I’m Jack, and I have a hug-o-gram for you. From a secret admirer.” He stepped up and hugged her.

“Who do you think you are?” Donna spat. “Who’s the admirer? I bet this is one of Malcolm’s pranks. Is Malcolm behind this? From the firm?”

“Nope, you just have an admirer, and he wanted to give you a hug, so here I am, hugging you.” Jack said with a grin. Too bad she didn’t remember that she’d really wanted to hug him all those years ago. No, it was a good thing she didn’t remember.

“Alright. Tell whoever it is thanks, but I’m taken.”

Jack let go of her and nodded. “Okay, just doing my duty. And you have a lovely family. How many kids?”

“If my secret admirer sent you, he would have told you. Right?” Donna said sharply.

“No, he didn’t mention it…” Jack said.

“We have twins. Rose and Lee.” Donna replied.

“Oh, Rose! What a nice name.” Jack replied. “Well, I gotta be off. Unless you want another hug?”

“I’m fine. Thank you.” Donna replied. Jack turned and walked back down the walk.

“Secret admire. Best friend.” He said quietly. “Same difference.” Then he   
remembered the occasion. He turned around, and just before the door closed, he called “Hey Donna- Happy birthday!”


	2. The Believers

Amelia ran down the hall to the door. Every time the bell rang, she hoped that it was the Raggedy Doctor, back to get her. He’d crash-landed in her back yard three years ago. That night, she and the Doctor had a late-night dinner (she had ice cream, while he finally settled on fish fingers and custard) and then investigated the crack in her wall. He then left, promising her that he would return in five minutes.

It had been three years.

Amelia opened the door. Standing there was a man in a military-style coat, holding a package. It was not her Raggedy Doctor. The Doctor was tall, skinny, and gangly. This man was healthy-looking, strong, with shorter hair. Definitely not the Doctor.

“Can I help you?” Amelia asked.

“Yes. Are you Miss Amelia Pond?” the man asked, his voice revealing his American roots.

“Yeah, I am,” Amelia replied.

Captain Jack Harkness of the Torchwood Institute knelt down to the little Scottish girl’s level. “Hi, Amy. I’m Jack. I have a package to deliver.” He handed her the box. “You can trust me, sweetheart,” he added.

“Do you know the Doctor?” Amelia asked. 

Jack avoided the question. Instead, he replied, “I heard that you like making things.” 

Amelia stared at him.

“I’m a friend of Mrs. Lyons, at the school,” Jack said. 

“Who are you?” the sharp Scot asked.

“Just a friend. Why don’t you take the box in, I have to be off,” Jack replied. 

Amelia looked down at the box. “Thanks, mister,” Amelia replied.

“No problem, Amelia.” Jack said, standing up and smiling. “You know, Amelia Pond’s a good name. Sounds like something out of a fairytale.”

“That’s what the Doctor said!” Amelia replied. “Do you think he’s ever coming back?” 

She looked sad- a lonely girl waiting for her imaginary friend. She didn’t know him the way Jack did- the oncoming storm, the lonely god. No, maybe this girl from a fairytale knew more about the Doctor from just one meeting- she must understand the loneliness, and the joy of having a friend for a moment, however brief. That was why the Doctor roamed the universe, and why Amelia Pond waited.

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Jack asked. The Doctor had not come back for him.

“I hope so,” Amelia replied.

“Then if you hope enough, he’ll come back,” Jack said. “And believe me, he’s real. Don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“Okay,” Amelia replied.

“Well, I have to go. Nice meeting you, Amelia Pond.”

“Nice meeting you, Mr. Jack," Amelia said. 

Just as Jack walked away to find a safe place to use the vortex manipulator to return to his home time in Cardiff, Amelia opened the package.

Inside it were clothespins, glue, swatches of fabric, and other random craft supplies. Amelia realized she had gotten boxes like these before. So that was who sent her the supplies. Another believer in the Raggedy Doctor.


	3. Flowers for Sarah Jane

“Hey, Mum, these came for you.” 

Sarah Jane Smith glanced up, shouldering the bag of groceries she was carrying. It had been a long day for the time-traveler-turned-reporter. A sighting of what looked suspiciously like a fat, flatulent politician had been bad enough, added to the all-out war of trying to make it though the grocery store after work. In her time, Sarah Jane had seen her fair share of the good, the bad, and the downright weird- mummies, Daleks, bat-creatures taking over schools, the attempted end of the universe, and the Loch Ness Monster. She was the head of her own little army of young detectives, had helped save the Earth, and finally said good bye to her best friend. 

But sometimes being a mum and alien fighter was tiring.

Her son, Luke, was sitting at the table reading the latest issue of Radio Times. Next to the boy with messy hair was a pot full of flowers. 

“They just came?” Sarah Jane asked.

“Affirmative, Mistress,” said a high, computerized voice. Sarah Jane had to resist the urge to pet the tin dog, known as K-9.

“Yeah,” Luke said. “I had Mr. Smith scan them. Nothing weird about them, just regular Earth flowers.”

“Who’d send me flowers?” Sarah Jane asked, setting down the groceries and examining the beautiful blue orchids.

“Maybe the Doctor?” Luke offered.

“I do not think they are from Doctor-Master,” K-9 said.

Sarah Jane read the card hanging from the flower: “ ‘Dear Sarah Jane: Please enjoy these flowers. Keep up the good work. Love, your secret admirer.’ I have a secret admirer?” The writing was unusual, with the A's taller than the other letters.

Luke shrugged. “I bet the Doctor sent them.”

“No, not his handwriting,” Sarah Jane muttered absentmindedly, turning over the card. Printed on the back was the address of a Cardiff florist. “I don’t think we’ll be hearing from the Doctor again, Luke.”

The last time they saw the Doctor, he was entering the TARDIS after saving Luke from being hit by a car. He turned and saw them, and for a brief moment, she was a girl, running off to adventure with the crazy man in the Victorian suit and white hair, and later the young man with curls and a scarf as long as the stories they shared. The man who said his silent goodbye was young and handsome, in a sharp suit and full of cheer and bravado, all the while being old and brokenhearted. Sarah Jane was glad to see him, one more time, to see his farewell, but she had the feeling that he was going to die. 

“Go call Clyde and see how he is,” she said, once again returning to be the mum. Once Luke left, Sarah Jane put her head in her hands and stared at the flowers. The blues fading into white shown brilliantly in the afternoon light.

“I don’t know, K-9," she muttered. 

“I think they are from someone else, Mistress,” K-9 replied. 

Sarah Jane sat back and admired them again. All of human history, and she was given the chance to see it, and to save it. “Well, whoever sent them, they’re lovely," she said. She looked closer at the petals. The edges were the same deep blue as the TARDIS.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

 

“JACK!”

Gwen Cooper stormed into Captain Jack Harkness’s office.

“Hey, Gwen.”

“Why is there a charge on my card for flowers?” Gwen yelled.

“You’re pretty when you’re mad, you know that?” Jack said.

“What is this charge for?”

“All part of being the torchbearers of the Doctor and his mission,” Jack replied.

“What does that have to do with it?” Gwen snapped.

Jack grinned. “Because everyone needs a secret admirer!”


End file.
